On January 20, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States. Whatever your political views, that’s probably not what you’re here for. How will Trump’s policies, tariffs and content restrictions affect your gaming hobby? And what will it mean for your long-awaited copy of GTA VI?
Gaming will become much more expensive
Trump has shared 25 percent tariffs will be imposed on Mexico and Canada starting February 1, with China in Trump’s direct crosshairs. A significant portion of video game discs sold in the United States are produced in Mexico. With a tariff on imports from Mexico, the production of physical copies of popular games, including GTA VI and future titles, could decrease. Video game companies outsource almost all physical media manufacturing to countries like Mexico and China. If Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on all foreign imports are implemented, the cost of physical media, video game consoles and computer components will rise significantly (up to 60% for imports from China). This could push the price of GTA VI and similar games to $89.99assuming that firms pass on the additional costs to consumers, creating a higher barrier to entry for players. Maybe that speculation about GTA VI costing $100 isn’t so unreasonable after all.
Content Restrictions
Trump is more willing than ever to follow through on his policy plans, and it’s reasonable to believe he could double down on content restrictions. In the past, Trump has blamed video game violence for contributing to social problems, including mass shootings. There is reason to believe that, according to him, the Grand Theft Auto series falls squarely under this category. Speaking after the 2019 El Paso shooting, he stated:
“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the horrific and horrific video games that are now commonplace.”
Donald J. Trump
Although Trump did not specifically name Grand Theft Auto in his statement, the franchise has historically been a focal point in discussions of violent media. Given his stance on reducing restrictions on gun ownership, it is possible that under his leadership, attention could shift further to media scapegoats such as violent video games. This would align with past rhetoric and may spark further debates during his presidency. While it is unlikely that an outright ban on violent games would gain traction in Congress, increased public debate could lead to more self-regulation by the gaming industry to avoid a backlash. However, I don’t think Rockstar would ever give in to this type of policy.
Trump has previously criticized Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides legal immunity to platforms for user-generated content. If his views carry over to his current management and he repeals or amends section 230, Rockstar Games could be held more accountable for user-generated content such as mods. This would force them to regulate mods and fan-made online content much more strictly. Leading to possibly more mod deductions than we’ve already received. This includes their recent takeover of FiveM, which relies heavily on user-generated content.
Trump’s policy will be an effort for economic self-reliance. A barrier to entry for playing video games could become steep enough for players and destabilize the industry, affecting end users in the U.S. Trump’s conservative views on video game violence and user-generated content could affect mods and FiveM. Buckle up people, it’s going to be a wild 4 years.
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